Spain

Spain sent us off with orange groves, sunshine and a little sadness at leaving our friends behind. We left Valencia in mid-April feeling nervous and overloaded: 16kg bikes, 13kg of bags each, but the first few days along the familiar coastal roads eased us in gently. The route through the Sierra de Irta natural park was a real highlight, but hard going, and we had great days in both Girona and Figueres. The Dalí museum alone was worth crossing a country for.

Catalonia tested us, though. The EV8 signs basically evaporated at the regional border, the roads got hillier and rougher, and the winds coming off the Ebro delta were genuinely relentless. We abandoned the last 15km into Miami Platja and jumped on a train without a moment's guilt.

Spain set the tone for the whole trip: generous drivers, brilliant food stops, the occasional proper physical challenge, and a generous helping of yellow cars that made everything seem worthwhile.